Signal Newsletter | March 2009 | WSIU Radio

Issue 6 : March 2009

Signal

Every day you rely on WSIU Radio to bring you intelligent information, comfort, humor, and inspiration that keeps you connected to the things that really matter in life – your family and friends, your community and your world.

Every day, WSIU provides an invaluable public service that touches not only YOUR life but also lives all across our region. But we can’t do it alone. Financial contributions from listeners like you are absolutely critical to the success of our stations.

An Online Newsletter from WSIU Public Radio

WSIU Radio Membership Drive: Every Gift Makes a Difference!

We know times are challenging, yet we know you believe that an investment in public radio is a worthwhile priority to keep public radio strong here in southern Illinois.

This spring, please give as generously as you can to support WSIU Radio.

Take action today to protect the future of your local public radio service.

And we believe that every gift is a generous gift, because together, each to our own ability, we achieve something remarkable!

Call 1-800-745-9748, or contribute online at wsiu.org. Thank you for listening, and for supporting, WSIU Public Radio.

Celebrating the Art of Storytelling With WSIU As a preview for this year’s festival, WSIU Radio will broadcast 15 special segments this March and April featuring amateur storytellers who stopped by WSIU’s booth last year to share their stories.

Tears, joy, laughter, sorrow, recollections, and remembrances: you’ll enjoy them all at the 2nd Annual Storytelling Festival in Cape Girardeau on April 3-5.

Select stories will be featured during Morning Edition and All Things Considered on March 27 & 30, and April 1 & 3 at 8:29am and 5:29pm.

WSIU will feature seven additional storytellers in a special web-only component on wsiu.org.

WSIU staff and our Literacy Van (courtesy of John A. Logan College Child Care Resource & Referral) will be at this year’s festival, so be sure to stop by to share your story! For more information about the 2nd Annual Storytelling Festival, visit capestorytelling.com.

Coming Up on Morning Conversations This month WSIU Morning Conversations will look at your health, the economy, our local environment, and more. Be sure to tune in on Thursday, March 5 when host Jennifer Fuller will talk with gastroenterologist Dr. Zahoor Makhdoom about colon cancer during this month of awareness about the illness.

Fuller to discuss the latest news from the SIU campus. On March 17, WSIU will take a look at water usage in the region and how we can affect change and conservation. Finally, on March 24 we’ll present a Science Café with the Science Center of Southern Illinois and on March 30, an update on the progress of the Bald Knob Cross restoration.

On March 10, SIUC Chancellor Samuel Goldman sits down with

Morning Conversations airs on Tuesdays at 8:29am and again at

Dr. Zahoor Makhdoom.

Photo: www.sigis-carbondale.com

5:29pm. Or, listen online anytime via our podcasts at wsiu.org.

SIRIS Volunteer Profile: Bobby Davis television station in West Frankfort.

He’s also the editor of the company’s magazine.

SIRIS Volunteer Bobby Davis. Photo: SIRIS.

Meet SIRIS volunteer Bobby Davis.

Growing up, Davis experienced a childhood very different from his American peers – he spent most of his formative years in Brazil where his parents were missionaries!

Davis has worked in TV production and programming for many years and currently serves as the on-air promotions director for a Christian

After his work schedule changed from five days per week to four, Davis decided to use the extra time to volunteer with SIRIS. Because of his familiarity with WSIU and years of experience in the broadcasting industry, Davis brings a wealth of knowledge to his work and has become a wonderful asset to the SIRIS team. “I love volunteering here,” says Davis. “It’s about giving back.”

“SIRIS provides services for those with disabilities who can’t read for themselves,” Davis adds. “Working at SIRIS has awakened me to a new segment of the population. It’s important to show that you care about helping others.”

Family Fun at the SI Irish Fest This year’s 13th Annual Southern Illinois Irish Festival on April 24-26 will showcase musical ensembles with family relations.

The two main acts for the Saturday night concert at McLeod Theater on the SIUC campus will be a group of four young adult sisters from Scotland called Give Way and a family of 12 from Nashville who call themselves The Willis Clan.

On Friday night, Copper Dragon Brewing Co. will feature last year’s surprise crowd favorite from Indianapolis, Mother Grove. The Friday night acoustic concert will feature Irish singer-songwriter guitarist Gerry O’Beirne at Cousin Andy’s Coffeehouse at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Carbondale.

The Celtic Fair will take place at Turley Park in Carbondale all day on Saturday and Sunday, with local family band

favorite The Bankesters, as well as The Dorians, Blackberry Blossoms, Banjovi, Etherton Switch, Give Way. Photo: SI Irish Fest.

Duddy Breeks, and wellknown fiddler Dennis Stroughmatt with a presentation on “Creole Music from the Illinois Country.”

The Celtic Fair days also will feature children’s activities, Highland Games, Celtic merchandise vendors, food and drink, a roving Scottish bagpiper, and much more.

More festival details will be available by mid-April in the program guide posted online at silirishfest.org. We look forward to seeing you soon!

When Bobby is not busy with work or volunteering for SIRIS, he enjoys reading, traveling and nature walks.

He is also passionate about public broadcasting and is a dedicated listener to WSIU Radio, enjoying shows like All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Car Talk, Dr. Zorba Paster On Your Health, and Celtic Connections.

Davis also regularly tunes in to watch his favorite WSIU TV programs, including Masterpiece Theater, Antiques Roadshow, and NOVA, as well as the how-to programming channel Create on WSIU’s digital network.

To learn more about becoming a SIRIS volunteer like Davis, call (618) 453-2808 or visit us online at wsiu.org. Just click on the SIRIS tab!

Announcements CONGRATULATIONS... to WSIU Radio for winning 2nd Place for Best Newscast in the 2009 Illinois Associated Press Awards.

Jennifer Fuller also won 2nd Place for Best Reporter!

READING BASEBALL It’s almost here...baseball season, that is. Pete Peterson, host of Reading Baseball, will present new episodes on March 6 and March 20 at 8:29am and 5:29pm.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY SPECIAL Tune in on Sunday, March 15 at 7pm for an hour-long special featuring music legends Paddy Moloney (Chieftains), Moya Brennan (Clannad), the Celtic Tenors and others, in session with the Irish group Dervish as house band.

Mondays at 8pm • April 13-May 11 • WSIU TV As part of a grant from PBS and WGBH for the American Experience mini-series We Shall Remain, and in cooperation with regional partners, WSIU is planning community engagement events designed to deepen public understanding of Native history and culture. We are placing a special emphasis on our region’s connection to the Trail of Tears, the path taken

by Native peoples during their forced migration west in the early 1800s.

A companion public radio series also will be available (still TBA).

• March 6-April 19: “Mapping the Trail of Tears in Southern Illinois” museum exhibit at General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro.

Curated by Harvey Henson, Assistant Dean in the SIUC College of Science, and Karen Frailey, graduate student and University greenhouse supervisor.

• March 18-21, 9am-4pm: Free quilting workshop at the University Museum Education Center at SIUC. Create a quilt to commemorate the journey of Native Americans through our region.

Archaeologist Mary McCorvie will lead the workshop. Call (618) 687-1731, ext. 109 or (618) 6878-1731, ext. 102 to register.

• March 18, 7pm: Mark Wagner of the SIUC Center for Archaeological Investigations will give a free presentation about Native American rock art in Illinois in the University Museum Auditorium in Faner Hall.

• March 21, 1-4pm: Reception and presentation by members of the Illinois Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association at General John A. Logan Museum, who will share information about local efforts to identify the

Photo: Bob Charlo, WGBH

original trail through Pope, Johnson, and Union Counties. The presentation will be followed by a special 20-minute preview screening of the Trail of Tears episode of We Shall Remain.

To learn more, visit our We Shall Remain web pages at wsiu.org.

Regional sponsors include Walgreens, the U.S. Forest Service, the Shawnee National Forest, the Illinois Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, the Southern Illinois Association of Museums, General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro, the SIUC University Museum, the SIUC Student Development Office, and the SIUC Native American Student Organization.

Come to the Friends of WSIU Auction!

Join us as we celebrate 50 years of broadcasting from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) campus at the 20th Annual Friends of WSIU Auction. The event will be held on Sat, June 13 at 6pm at the SIUC Student Center Ballrooms. You’ll also have the opportunity to test your knowledge of WSIU Radio trivia – 50 years worth!

Since 1958, WSIU has provided programs and services that inspire personal growth, community engagement, and a love of learning in people of all ages. Today, we reach over one million households, and your support makes it possible!

in support of your public broadcasting stations. Your financial investment will help WSIU continue its service mission through: • programming that explores our region’s people, places, events, and issues, such as Morning Conversations and WSIU InFocus; • education services that encourage success in learning and in life, including our Raising Readers literacy initiative targeting at-risk children;

Lane Dillard (l) and Robert Pulliam, both of Makanda in 2008. Photo: Nastassia Malin.

leaders, like Radio-TV graduate Zlatko Filipovic of Bosnia, who says the training he received at WSIU has prepared him for his career.

Call now to reserve a patron table for eight or to donate an Auction item, which allows you to highlight a product or service before an appreciative crowd of fellow WSIU Public Broadcasting supporters.

• community engagement that stimulates dialogue and positive change, such as WSIU’s local efforts this spring to recognize Native history, An elegant dinner buffet, delicious Southern Illinois wines, and the region’s culture, and issues; For more information and to reserve largest selection of live and silent your table, contact Laura Cobin at • professional training that helps auction items are just a few of the (618) 453-4287 or lcobin@siu.edu. highlights you’ll enjoy at this fun event today’s students become tomorrow’s

Governor’s Budget Address WSIU is the only local media outlet that will provide live coverage of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s first budget message to the Illinois General Assembly on Wed, March 18 at noon. WSIU Radio and WSIU TV will air the program at noon, with WSIU TV repeating the broadcast at 10pm. WSIU TV’s coverage is a part of the statewide public TV series Illinois Lawmakers.

Quinn, who is well-known for his interest in consumer protection issues and government reform, has pledged to lead “an open and fair state government worthy of being called the Land of Lincoln.” Prior to being elected to two terms as Lieutenant Governor, Quinn served as state Treasurer.

Thank You, Underwriters!

Together, our members and underwriters make public radio possible! Please join us in thanking the following underwriters, who recently began or renewed their partnerships: Arthur Agency Advanced Energy Solutions Group The Big Muddy Film Festival at SIU Budslick Counseling & Psychotherapy Services Carbondale Kiwanis Club Design Gallery Forbes Financial Group School of Law at SIU Southern Illinois Men’s Health Conference The Rosebud Theatre Touch of Nature at SIU Wright Do-It Centers For more information about the advantages of underwriting WSIU Radio programming through your business, group, or organization, please contact us at (618) 453-4286.

WSIU is my source for music and information.

- Jim Skinner, Carbondale IL

Public broadcasting has something for everyone. For Jim Skinner, WSIU Public Radio is a source for programming that enriches his daily life. The acclaimed local blues musician says he has a lot of varying interests, especially in his radio listening habits, and relies on WSIU for music and information that keep him informed and entertained. Some of his favorite programs on WSIU are Blues Before Sunrise, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, A Prairie Home Companion, and Car Talk.

“When I get up in the morning,” says Skinner, “one of the first things I do is tune into Morning Edition to get all the information I need to make it through the day and keep me up-to-date on what’s happening. And when I’m in the mood for classical music, I also tune into WSIU for some of the best in great classical.”

Share your story online at wsiu.org/mysource.

WSIU Public Radio Communications Building 1003 - Mail Code 6602 Southern Illinois University Carbondale 1100 Lincoln Drive Carbondale IL 62901 • wsiu.org • 618/453-6101 • wsiuradio@wsiu.org